The pictures of Bruno Diehl, painter from Kansk, reflect all his love for Siberian nature, for its harshness and beauty. His private exhibition “My Siberia” has just been opened in the House of Artists on the occasion of his 80th birthday.
Even though he did not come to Siberia on his free will – his family was from
among the many Germans who were deported from the Volga Region to Siberia in
1941. Bruno spent his childhood on the banks of the mighty Russian Volga river,
in the large village of Seelmann (today called Rovnoe), Saratov Region. His
father was an art master and an expert at the drawing-board; he was working for
a publishing house illustrating books. He was the very first who put pencil and
brush into the hands of his son. Later Bru o attended lessons in the studio of
the Pioneers’ Palace. He was successful in the Republican Children’s Olympiad;
and then he was dreaming of getting registered with the college of art. The
fulfillment of this wish, however, was not granted to him. And an exiled
“disfranchised” person would have to stop having visions and dreams of such an
education more than ever!
In spite of his fate Bruno does not feel offended; he contrived to love his new home, his new place of living and praise it in his pictures. He spent most of his life in Kansk, where he finished his teacher-training and then gave lessons in painting and drawing at local schools . He organized childrens’ studios, worked for the municipal studio and was finally accepted as a member of the Artists’ Association. His works of art were exhibited in Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk and Moscow; he goes on creative journeys throughout the region almost every year and always brings back home numerous studies and drawings.
The jubilee exhibition shows paintings from different periods, mainly landscapes, which helps the observer of the pictures to memorize the Siberian taiga , the Sayan Mountains and the river basins.
On the opening day of the exhibition Bruno Diehl met many of his Krasnoyarsk friends. He was particularly overjoyed by his meeting with his long-time comrade, a man who suffered a hard lot as well, the Russian folk artist – Toivo Riannel, who had come over to Krasnoyarsk from Finland.
- Today I discovered a new artist for myself, although I have been knowing him since long, - Toiva Riannel admitted, when we conversed with eachother. – Sometime in the past he began as an amateur, but now he is an entirely professional painter who disposes of an excellent sure instinct of composition and great skill to creat a monumental piece of art work even on a small format canvas. I would like to congratulate Bruno Diehl and all of us on this remarkable exhibition!
Eduard RUSAKOV
The picture shows the two artists and friends (Bruno Diehl and Toivo Riannel)
Photo by Valeriy ZABOLOTSKIY
“Krasnoyarsk Worker”, 04.09.2007